UP land deal: SC dismisses plea against Big B

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to order investigation into the controversy involving Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan in the Barabanki land deal case in Uttar Pradesh.

The apex court dismissed the petition filed by UP government challenging the Allahabad High Court's order restraining it from initiating any criminal, civil or revenue proceedings against Bachchan in the case.

The High Court had on December 11 last given a clean chit to the actor, observing that there was no finding that the actor "himself committed any fraud or manipulated any surreptitious entry in the revenue records".

Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the state government, contended that there was a case of manipulation in revenue records which ultimately benefited Bachchan and it needed to be investigated.

The High Court had disposed of Bachchan's petition challenging the order of Additional Commissioner of Faizabad quashing the allotment of the land in Daulatpur village of Barabanki district.